Biden to propose $1 trillion in survival aid for families during Thursday night stimulus address: report

On Thursday, The Washington Postreported that President-elect Joe Biden will announced a sweeping $1.9 trillion economic package in his address this evening — including $1 trillion worth of various direct payments to struggling families.

"The plan contains a raft of provisions that build on the approximately $4 trillion Congress has already devoted to addressing the pandemic, which included a $900 billion measure Trump signed in December which Biden has repeatedly described as unfinished business," reported Erica Werner and Jeff Stein. "It is divided into three major areas: $400 billion for provisions to fight the coronavirus with more vaccines and testing, while reopening schools; more than $1 trillion in direct relief to families, including through stimulus payments and increased unemployment insurance benefits; and $440 billion for aid to communities and businesses, including $350 billion in emergency funding to state, local and tribal governments."

"The plan will aim to make good on Biden's plan for a universal vaccination program, devoting $20 billion to that goal, as well as $50 billion for a 'massive expansion' of testing and $130 billion to help schools reopen safely," continued the report. "Among the many goals laid out in the proposal, Biden hopes to deliver 100 million vaccine shots in 100 days, and re-open a majority of K-12 public schools in that same time frame."

Also in the proposal are the extra $1,400 per person required to deliver on his promise of $2,000 stimulus checks, an expansion of child and earned income tax credits for working families, a boost of the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and a 9-month moratorium on evictions.

Biden reportedly hopes that his proposal will win bipartisan votes. While the president-elect is entering office with the first Democratic trifecta in 10 years, his margins in the House and particularly the Senate are razor-thin, meaning he will need Republican support if his caucus doesn't unify behind it.